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I say, “Do demons come through the shrine?”
“All the time. Another reason remaining incorporeal is convenient.”
“I wonder if they collapsed the mall. The Angra might not like a Burger King on their sacred soil.”
Nefesh shrugs.
“Who knows with those things? Ancient gods. Mysterious ways. If I can’t figure it out, how could you?”
“Are you going to rot down here or pay Mr. Muninn a visit?” I say.
“Now that you busybodies have found me, I don’t suppose I have any choice.”
“Do you know where your brother Chaya is? You might tell him to go to Muninn too.”
“If I knew his whereabouts, do you think I’d tell you?”
Candy pulls on my arm.
“Forget it. Let’s go.”
I follow her for a few steps and turn back to Nefesh.
“Every time I meet one of you little Gods, it’s a ray of sunshine on a rainy day. Thanks for keeping the streak going.”
We head back to the lobby to find the broken escalator. We’re almost to the door when I hear Nefesh clear his throat.
“Thanks for the cigarette, Sandman Slim. And by the way, when I said one of you isn’t what he seems, I wasn’t talking about the mechanical man.”
“What does he mean?” says Traven.>He becomes solid, standing on the water like a lime Jell-O Jesus. He points at me.
“You, pretty boy. Give an old man a cigarette.”
I toss him the Maledictions and the lighter. Nefesh catches one in each hand. He rolls his eyes when he sees the cigarette brand. But he still takes one and lights up. Being a God of love, he tosses me back the lighter and smokes.
“I’m speechless,” says Traven. “I devoted my life to you and now I see you’re nothing but a ridiculous, foulmouthed little man.”
Nefesh raises a finger to Traven. An admonishment.
“You didn’t devote your life to me. You lost your calling a long time ago and hid from me in your books. And then you wrote that one particular book. Naughty, naughty.”
“You’re angry with me for translating a book?” says Traven. “But it was your duplicity that made it necessary for me to do it. No. You don’t get to reject me. I reject you.”
Nefesh lazily puffs the Malediction.
“Too late, priest. I got there first. I win again.”
I say, “You have to admit it’s kind of funny when you think about it. A guy powerful enough to run the universe and sneaky enough to trick the Angra out of it ends up a cabana boy in a drainage ditch. That has to make you smile just a little.”
Traven looks at me. His face is gray. Drained of blood.
“You’ve seen these kinds of horrors before. I’ve only seen them in my worst nightmares. I can’t find the humor in this situation.”
Brigitte puts her arm around Traven’s shoulder and leads him away from the pool.
“This man will give you no satisfaction. Turn your back on him,” she says.
“Do we have souls, Stark and me?” shouts Candy.
